Haven't seen an H1N1 thread in awhile...

[Tree House Academy]

So..I thought i would start one. How is everyone doing? Has H1N1 afftected your family at all? Have you had it? Did you get the vaccine for yourself/you kids? If you chose not to vaccinate, are you totally okay with your decision? Are you still on the fence? Is the vaccine available everywhere for everyone now?

 

I feel so isolated from what goes on in the rest of the world being from a small town. I have read the papers and such, but I try to stay away from the total doom and gloom sites since I am prone to so much hypochondria anyway.

[Heidi]

So..I thought i would start one. How is everyone doing? Has H1N1 afftected your family at all? Have you had it? Did you get the vaccine for yourself/you kids? If you chose not to vaccinate, are you totally okay with your decision? Are you still on the fence? Is the vaccine available everywhere for everyone now?

 

I feel so isolated from what goes on in the rest of the world being from a small town. I have read the papers and such, but I try to stay away from the total doom and gloom sites since I am prone to so much hypochondria anyway.

 

None of us have been sick. Haven't heard of anyone being sick. The vaccine is available to everyone at the hospital now. Opted not to get it for any of us and I'm just fine with my decision. I did get the regular flu shot. :001_smile:

[Perry]

Ds got very sick with flu in October. He ended up on antibiotics for a week for a secondary infection. Both girls got flumist as soon as it was available. They were able to get it at their doctor's office and there was no wait. Dh had flumist in September, when it first was available to health care workers.

 

I want the vaccine but it isn't available to me yet, and probably won't be until February.

[QueenCat]

Glad we got the shot. At least one student in ds tutorial classes got H1N1. Ds gets almost everything he is exposed & he was exposed.... had the shot, so no worries.

[Hillary in KS]

We haven't had it. We haven't been vaccinated for it. We don't know anyone who's had a *documented* case of it.

 

Several people around us have been sick and told us it was H1N1. But they never went to the Dr. and claim to have symptoms that are different from H1N1, so I'm chalking those up to hysteria. :)

 

It hasn't affected us at all.

[Carrie12345]

All 6 of us had it. Well, only one was tested, but we had quarantined ourselves, and I'm pretty sure the regular flu didn't sneak into our house and attack us while the H1N1 only got the baby. ;)

 

I don't really know about the availability of the vax in our area, since we chose not to vax for either flu. Dh and I don't regret our decision, even though it wasn't exactly the highlight of our year.

 

3 of the kids got Tamiflu. The one who didn't took longer to recover than the others, but was 100% in about 5 days. Dh and I took more like a week to feel *well*, another day or two to feel *normal*.

 

The last one to get it (my 7yo) was hit the hardest. We DID almost take her in for IV fluids before we finally got her hydrated at home.

[Stacie]

Two sons and I both have confirmed cases of it right now. Dh and the other two are fine so far. It's not as bad as I had feared, but it's no cakewalk either. My asthmatic ds is the worst, but he's still not very bad. As far as my symptoms, the worst is the upset stomach and the lack of energy. I'm usually very energetic, but not right now. Lots of water, oj, mucinex, tylenol/advil, and sunshine seems to be the best medicine.

[aggieamy]

We haven't had it. We haven't been vaccinated for it. We don't know anyone who's had a *documented* case of it.

 

Several people around us have been sick and told us it was H1N1. But they never went to the Dr. and claim to have symptoms that are different from H1N1, so I'm chalking those up to hysteria. :)

 

It hasn't affected us at all.

 

Yep. My family would give the exact same report. DH just commented the other day on how he hasn't heard anything about H1N1 in a month or two. Sounds like media created hysteria.

[MariannNOVA]

We are humming along, and thankfully, everyone is healthy. We have dealt with fractured ribs (me), sprained ankles (DD9), knee injury due to a fall (DD10) but thankfully, that has been it. We were in the peds office last week for a 'med visit' for ADHD and I did my usual fine job of interrogating them regarding what they are seeing now as far as H1N1 and their response (which I agree with) was that they see the first wave as being over, and this is another calm before another storm. There appears to be vaccine aplenty (which I have decided we are not going to do), and they may even have vaccine in my peds practice now which was not the case a few weeks ago.

We continue to do probiotics, cholustrum, and our other supplements, scrupulous hand washing, and I dare say the nasty snow, rain and sleet we have been having here (which is keeping us IN) has helped keep us out of public places.

Hope you all continue to stay well!:001_smile:

[6packofun]

We're fine. No one in our family or anyone we know personally has gotten it. No flu vaccines here.

[Ali in OR]

My kids have all been vaccinated--no problems, no illness. Our county is still vaccinating only high risk categories, but they reported that not many people showed up for the latest clinic, so maybe they'll open it up to everyone soon. I will get vaccinated as soon as they let me. I do still hear about deaths from H1N1--our first local case, people in other places on prayer chains. You do not want to be one of the people for whom the virus attacks deep within the lungs. Vaccination still seems the most sensible route to me. We're all taking vitamin C, vitamin D, are washing hands, etc.

[whitestavern]

Both my dc had it; although I thought it was fairly mild from what was being reported. We did not get a doctor diagnosis, but they had almost every symptom. I attribute it to our increase in Vit D beginning in the fall. Neither dh nor I got it. No one got the vaccine and though I wasn't 100% sure if we would or wouldn't I'm now glad they got it so the decision was made for me! It's still not available for any of us here in CT anyway.

[elegantlion]

I pretty sure it made a quick trip through our household earlier this fall. I was sick for a full week, ds for three days, and dh never caught it.

 

However a 14 year old boy in our city died from complications from H1N1. He attended the same middle school my son would attend if he weren't homeschooled. I found out about it a couple weeks after the fact. He was otherwise healthy and died very shortly after his diagnosis. Heartbreaking for his family.

[Blossom'sGirl]

It hit our area about a month ago. Here's a link to a little boy in our area who just died from complications after being hospitalized for H1N1. Very sad. I haven't heard anything else though.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/elijahnist

[Sara R]

We had a number of confirmed cases in the neighborhood last month, including dd's teacher and one of her classmates. Two of my kids (including dd) were sick with the same symptoms at the same time, so I'm hoping that we have all been thoroughly exposed. We have not gotten the vaccine.

[Jeannie in NJ]

my son has pneumonia (he was kept in the emergency room for 2 days) and I got him the H1N1 shot today (the doctors said that we did not want him to possibly get sick with the flu while he has pneunomia). The health dept. gave him the shot, they are just starting to give the shots in the schools, no where else right now. Dd is in high school, she is getting the shot there on Fri, the flu is bad at her school, she has one friend that was in the hospital for a long time and others that have been out sick for a month . Both of my dc have breathing problems so I really wanted and want the shots for them.

 

The health dept. told me they have no idea when shots will be available for the general public, they are only doing the schools for now.

[Lovedtodeath]

I had something. I don't know if it was H1N1, but it did involve a lot of coughing. I went to the Medical Doctor after a week, concerned that I had pneumonia. It was a virus; they did nothing. 5 and a half weeks later I am still exhausted. I went to the Natural Doctor and my lungs and sinuses are inflamed and my pituitary gland is very fatigued.

[MariannNOVA]

my son has pneumonia (he was kept in the emergency room for 2 days) and I got him the H1N1 shot today (the doctors said that we did not want him to possibly get sick with the flu while he has pneunomia). The health dept. gave him the shot, they are just starting to give the shots in the schools, no where else right now. Dd is in high school, she is getting the shot there on Fri, the flu is bad at her school, she has one friend that was in the hospital for a long time and others that have been out sick for a month . Both of my dc have breathing problems so I really wanted and want the shots for them.

 

The health dept. told me they have no idea when shots will be available for the general public, they are only doing the schools for now.

 

I'm curious- where are you in NJ? I'm only asking b/c my dd30 and her dh both teach in Salem County and my mom and my sister and her family are in NJ -- you can PM me if you don't want to put that info out here for everyone. I am originally from NJ (suburban Essex County) and I have family and friends there and in Morris County -- it's never something we all discuss in emails, so, as I said, I'm curious. Thanks:001_smile:

[Jumping In Puddles]

Both kids received 2 doses of flumist, and my dh and I each got our 1 dose of flumist. :w00t:

 

I do think dh had H1N1 earlier in the fall but he wanted to get a dose of vax just in case it wasn't the flu.

[RandomActs412]

I did not get myself or my kids vaccinated and am happy with my decision. I am exposed to the virus all day long and I feel that was enough exposure and am sure that my children have been exposed to it. Does the H1N1 kill people? yes! And so does the regular flu strain every year, mostly immunocompromised persons with no immune system. I think that the media has blown all this way out of proportion, and scared way too many people. It is unfair, just my beliefs.-Alana

[Mom2GirlsTX]

Hi there,

Well you know the saga already about my family and how sick my oldest and dh got.

 

Both my girls got a H1n1 shot a month ago. My dh got one 3 weeks ago and I went ahead and got one a week ago when they opened it up to everyone.

 

I am normally conserative with vaccines but just watching dh go from fine to awful in hours was a sign to me I needed to do something. Every family has their reasons not to vaccinate or to vaccinate, but we chose to simply because of dh compromised immune system and dds asthma/lung problem.

 

So far we have had nothing since Oct!

[Heather in OK]

No one in our family has had it.

 

We will not be vaccinated for it. I am absolutely comfortable with that decision!

[Carpe Diem]

Feel comfortable with our decision at this point.

 

I wondered why we haven't heard much about H1N1 lately. I've decided that the media is not wanting to scare at the moment so that people will spend money for the holidays. After the new year, I suspect we will hear more about the horrors of H1N1. Maybe I'm being cynical.

[Mrs Mungo]

We got both the seasonal flu shot and the h1n1 shot. Here, they are only giving the shot to priority patients and their families. Everyone else gets the mist. We do know people from church who had documented cases of h1n1. My son has a pulmonary disorder, it's important we do what we can to keep it from getting worse. I'm completely comfortable with our decision.

[babysparkler]

Our whole family was tested positive for it on Oct 22nd. It took us 2 full weeks to recover (maybe a little longer), and the asthmatic ones in the house are STILL having issues from it that are slowly improving. It hit us extremely hard, and I am so jealous of those who had the "light" version of it. :glare: We nearly lost our DD7 from it (Praise God for our Dr. friend who came over to the house to help us!), and if it weren't for having extra asthma meds on hand, I would have been in the ER one of the nights.

 

We didn't have the chance to vaccinate (it wasn't available in our area yet), and I was on the fence at that point still. Looking back, it would have been much cheaper and all-around-better to have been vaccinated.

Edited December 9, 2009 by babysparkler

[Nakia]

All five of us had some strain of flu the week of Thanksgiving. We spoke to the doctor, and although they were about 100% certain we had flu based on our symptoms, we did not go in to the office to be tested.

 

My oldest was the sickest. She was sick with a high fever, body aches, and cough for 5 days. My youngest and my husband were only sick for a day and a half, literally. My middle and I were sick about four days. It was intense, but very short.

 

We got no flu shots.

[MBM]

We might have had it in October. However, we all take large doses of vitamin D3 when sick, so whatever we had was not too long-lasting.

 

Dh was able to get vaccinated last month. My son will finally be vaccinated next week at school. Originally it was going to be offered in January. Argh. A bit late for my liking. As for me, I'll be getting it at CVS when it's available.

[LizzyBee]

We didn't vaccinate. We think our oldest dd had H1N1 flu. The symptoms fit, and it was going around at her school.

 

Our county just this week made the vac available to everyone over 6 mos old. It was previously limited to adults in high-risk categories and children.

 

I just saw a headline yesterday or this morning that said the stats are showing that H1N1 flu is only marginally worse than the regular flu. I didn't read the article, so I don't know the details of what was reported.

[Perry]

 

I wondered why we haven't heard much about H1N1 lately. I've decided that the media is not wanting to scare at the moment so that people will spend money for the holidays. After the new year, I suspect we will hear more about the horrors of H1N1. Maybe I'm being cynical.

:confused:

I don't understand. Why would the media care how much money people spend?

 

I believe you're not hearing about it much because cases have dropped off quite a bit in the last month. It seems that the second wave is winding down. There will likely be a third wave after Christmas.

 

U.S. Swine Flu Cases Chart Sharp Decline

 

But as pandemic seems to ebb, CDC notes a rise in child deaths linked to flu

 

Posted November 30, 2009

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. health officials said Monday that H1N1 swine infections appear to be on the wane nationally, even as the number of American children dying from the illness continues to rise.

 

The latest report, released Monday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), finds that "visits to doctors for influenza-like illness nationally decreased sharply this week over last week with all regions showing declines."

The ebb in cases means that 32 states are now reporting widespread flu activity, down from 43 states the week before.

The downward trend in H1N1 marks the fourth week in a row cases have declined after a month of steady increases in October, the CDC said.

.....

 

 

 

 

 

[littlebug42]

Our local Children's hospital reported a sharp decline in the cases they are seeing. They had something like 135 confirmed cases of H1N1 on one day in October and it has now tapered to something like 17 cases.

 

Our family has not had it and we know no one else who has had it. We chose not to vaccinate and I am comfortable with that decision.

[petepie2]

Everyone in our family, with the exception of myself, has had a seasonal flu shot. My two boys have had one H1N1 shot and will receive their second dose next week. I got the H1N1 shot from my OB doctor last week. When and if the vaccine becomes available for DD, she will get one too. We've had three families in our church confirmed with type A flu.

[Tree House Academy]

I have read some positive articles about H1N1 lately. Here is one from the Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/07/AR2009120703162.html?hpid=topnews saying that H1N1 may be the mildest pandemic on record.

 

However, let me just say that the number of children who have died from H1N1 is absolutely frightening for me. We did not do the vaccines and I have, several times, second guessed myself.

 

In my area, things are winding down a lot. I have a good friend who works in the school system and she said that there are hardly any absences at all right now compared to a month ago. Like the rest of the country, it seems to be dying down here in wave 2. The article above predicts that H1N1 will not mutate significantly and that wave 3 will show smaller peaks even than wave 2, but (as we all know) that remains to be seen.

[hornblower]

:confused:

I don't understand. Why would the media care how much money people spend?

 

I believe you're not hearing about it much because cases have dropped off quite a bit in the last month. It seems that the second wave is winding down. There will likely be a third wave after Christmas.

 

 

:iagree:

 

ILI is winding down in my region. We did have 3 new deaths last week but that's expected - a # of the ill people linger in critical condition for a while before succumbing so I think we continue to see deaths after the peak of the 2nd wave.

 

BC has vaccination open to everyone now.

 

All 4 of us were done with the GSK adjuvanted version over 2 weeks ago.

 

It'll be interesting to see if we get a strong 3rd wave & if so, what its genetic make-up will be. There are bigger pockets of tamiflu resistance showing up worldwide - including person to person spread of the tamiflu resistant variety H1N1 - & also some indication that a couple gene mutations are causing deeper lung damage in the course of illness & have more severe presentations.

[Sherry in OH]

Husband and sons received the season flu vaccine. Both boys have had 1 dose of the H1N1 vaccine. They will receive the second dose in late December.

 

I waited too long and now the seasonal vaccine is unavailable in our area. Neither my husband nor I are eligible for the H1N1 vaccine.

[3byzaz]

My three guys and I had it - late Oct/early Nov. It was pretty awful. We have never had the flu - have not been sick in years - lots of vitamin shakes--anyway, it was bad. They had it for 2-3 solid days, then better for 2 and then back for another day or so. I got it right after they were well...had a fever for 5 straight days and really felt bad for 10 days. 3 weeks before I was normal again - talking normal, no cough, etc.

 

We weren't tested, but had all the classic signs and even some weird stuff that people have had with it. My dr's office said it was 99% sure it was it, but guess you can't know for sure.

 

We had not gotten the shot - it was not available to us yet. I was not wanting to get it anyway - we never do flu shots...however, knowing know what I know...hmmm...would probably get it even though I am going more and more natural!!

[Mommyof4ks]

It calmed down here just as it was ramping up in much of the rest of the country, so we have not heard of new cases in a month or so. We know ALOT of people who had it, but we never got it. My kids had the seasonal flu shot, but not the H1N1 shot and I don't think my son's oncologist is too happy about that. The shot is available to everyone here now, but we will likely not get it. If the season gets too bad we will just crawl under our rock. :)

[sparrow]

We have not had it, nor did our family get the vaccine. Several schools in our county closed for 3-5 days in October due to H1N1 related absences. Absentee rates in the affected schools were running >30%!

[Starr]

Kids had the mist and dh and I were vaccinated. It went through the colleges and schools around here. We have an otherwise healthy friend, 50 years old, 30 days on a respirator in an induced coma. He tested positive for H1N1 when entering the hospital with breathing difficulties. He is alive and in rehab. A real miracle. This can be nasty to healthy people.

[Devotional Soul]

Me and my kids are unvaxed and we've never had the flu before in our lives.

 

A few weeks ago, my 5 year old played a soccer game and one kid (and family) on his team had just gotten over h1n1. They shared orange slices from the same container. I sprayed us all with my essential oil blend and we have not had any sickness. In fact, we haven't had any sickness for over a year since I started using it. (Clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, rosemary, lavender, oregano diluted in olive oil.)

[Tree House Academy]

Me and my kids are unvaxed and we've never had the flu before in our lives.

 

A few weeks ago, my 5 year old played a soccer game and one kid (and family) on his team had just gotten over h1n1. They shared orange slices from the same container. I sprayed us all with my essential oil blend and we have not had any sickness. In fact, we haven't had any sickness for over a year since I started using it. (Clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, rosemary, lavender, oregano diluted in olive oil.)

 

Is that thieves oil?

[Nakia]

Me and my kids are unvaxed and we've never had the flu before in our lives.

 

A few weeks ago, my 5 year old played a soccer game and one kid (and family) on his team had just gotten over h1n1. They shared orange slices from the same container. I sprayed us all with my essential oil blend and we have not had any sickness. In fact, we haven't had any sickness for over a year since I started using it. (Clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, rosemary, lavender, oregano diluted in olive oil.)

 

Do you mind to share more information about that spray? Sounds very interesting.

[Parrothead]

The hospital in town put an ad in the local paper that ran today. It is in town now. We haven't had it or the shot. Dh and I are perfectly okay about none of us getting the vax.

[ereks mom]

...had it back in August/September and was over it in a few days. He's 13 yo. He's the only one I know personally who has been officially diagnosed with H1N1. I've known of others who've had the flu, but apparently it was the seasonal kind.

[dtb1999]

My oldest ds was very sick last month. He was hospitalized for 3 days because he was becoming dehydrated from continuous vomiting and not showing any signs of improvement and running very high fevers. They said there was no "actual" H1N1 test, that they generally only run a rapid test for influenza-a, which came back negative. Seems it was all actually from a ruptured ear drum due to a massive ear infection that it took quite a few doctors before anyone figured out it was his ear. :confused: I still wonder if the ear infection was actually a secondary infection to something else, but it doesn't really matter since he's better now, thank goodness!

 

And no, we didn't, and won't be getting the H1N1 or any other seasonal flu shot. I am totally comfortable with the decision to not vax for the latest "red herring". ;)

[Devotional Soul]

Here's some links on thieves oil:

 

http://www.secretofthieves.com/

 

http://www.natural-aromatherapy-benefits.com/Thieves-Oil.html

 

99.96 Percent Kill Rate against Bacteria

Young Living’s Thieves Oil has been scientifically proven to kill deadly germs. Research from Weber State University in Utah has shown that it has a 99.96 percent kill rate against airborne bacteria. It was proven to be highly anti-infectious, antiviral, antibacterial, and antiseptic.

 

*Research shows that Young Livings Thieves Oil effectively interrupts the life cycle of bacteria and also interferes with the ability of viruses to replicate. Studies also confirmed that most viruses and bacteria cannot live in the presence of many essential oils, including two of the oils found in the Thieves Essential Oil Blend, cinnamon and clove.

 

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/theives-oil-homemade-hand-sanitizer.html#

 

According to the story, a recent study by a group of surgeons found that a solution made with cinnamon oil killed a number of common and hospital-acquired infections, like streptococcus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA–and in fact, did so as effectively as several antiseptics widely used in hospitals. Another study by French researchers in 2008 had similar results, showing that at concentrations of 10 percent or less, cinnamon oil was effective against Staphylococcus, E. coli and several antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.

 

 

I also add lavender because I love the smell, and 1 drop of oregano oil because I'm convinced on how effective it is. It's a lot cheaper to buy bottles of each when your health food store has a sale.

 

My dh had pneumonia 5 times as a kid, and this has really helped his lungs, and he doesn't have a chronic cough anymore.

 

HTH!

[Tree House Academy]

Here's some links on thieves oil:

 

http://www.secretofthieves.com/

 

http://www.natural-aromatherapy-benefits.com/Thieves-Oil.html

 

 

 

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/theives-oil-homemade-hand-sanitizer.html#

 

 

 

 

I also add lavender because I love the smell, and 1 drop of oregano oil because I'm convinced on how effective it is. It's a lot cheaper to buy bottles of each when your health food store has a sale.

 

My dh had pneumonia 5 times as a kid, and this has really helped his lungs, and he doesn't have a chronic cough anymore.

 

HTH!

 

 

Do you just spray this on their bodies? In their mouths? Is it a preventative moreso than a treatment?

[Crissy]

We haven't had it. We haven't been vaccinated for it. We don't know anyone who's had a *documented* case of it.

 

Several people around us have been sick and told us it was H1N1. But they never went to the Dr. and claim to have symptoms that are different from H1N1, so I'm chalking those up to hysteria. :)

 

It hasn't affected us at all.

 

That's my story, as well. Right down to the hysteria. ;)

[lovetobehome]

:lurk5:

[Tap]

Cases have died down here too. My neighbors were wiped out with it in September and it was horrid for them. I have seen several families that had complications and several deaths in our area (we are in a large city). Everyone except my dh has had the vax, he will get it this week. We are high risk for several reasons, so while I waiverd on getting the vax, I ultimately weighed the risks and decided to get it.

 

The vax has not been released to the general public yet in our area, high risk people only. It is expected to be totally released in the next few weeks. It seems like it is pretty easy to get for people if they really want it anyways though, the shortage is lifting and it seems like the vax clinics are being a lot looser with who is 'high risk' now. It was very hard to get here just a month ago.

 

 

ETA: It was released on Dec 11 for everyone in Washington.

Edited December 14, 2009 by Tap, tap, tap

[Devotional Soul]

Do you just spray this on their bodies? In their mouths? Is it a preventative moreso than a treatment?

 

I mix the essential oils in a carrier oil (like olive oil or coconut oil). Then I put a small amount of this mix into a spray bottle and fill the rest with water. When we go out, I spray it on my kids clothes, chest and back area, and on hands after touching stuff, careful to avoid the eyes. I put it on every hour or so or right before and after touching public stuff like shopping carts.

 

This site has a recipe, just add equal proportions (except oregano oil, only 1 drop of that, it can burn the skin if you add too much or not dilute enough).

 

Essential oils are for external use only. Don't put them in the mouth or on the face, it can burn the eyes and areas close to mucous membranes. (Only oregano oil can be taken internally).

 

These can be used for prevention, and can also greatly reduce the chances of getting secondary infections for those who are already sick. (It kills staph, and eucalyptus is really good for clearing the lungs and stuffy noses.) I read one study where they put a few drops on a dish of staph and it was all killed in 5 minutes.